Okay, so here is my entry for the BE challenge over on Live Journal. Amazingly enough, I read the rules, and inspiration struck! Apparently musie hasn't left me permanently; she was just taking a long vacation! Enjoy!
Thanks to xray and willi, for their wonderful titles….I couldn't choose, so I used them both!
BBB
"Booth, I don't know about this." Standing at the top of the hill, looking down, Brennan could see her breath with every word she spoke. "It looks kind of….far. And we could hurt ourselves…break a bone or something…" The cold was biting, but she was warm enough…for now, at least. She wore all white, from her wool hat and scarf, to the ski jacket and pants, down to her boots. Booth was similarly attired, only all in black.
Looking at him, she was aware of the symbolism of the colors, like a bride and groom. He had asked her to marry him two months ago; she had refused, of course; she didn't want to get married. She knew she loved him; she didn't have to prove anything to anyone.
"C'mon, Bones! It'll be fun!" Booth's eyes were sparkling mischievously. He loved getting Bones out of her element, forcing her to experience life. "Trust me!"
"But...it's too cold!"
Booth sat down, then grabbed her hand and pulled her down on his lap. "That's why we snuggle!" He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against him. "Now, hold on tight!"
With a kick of his foot, they started moving down the hill, the giant tube picking up speed as it glided down over the snow. Brennan stifled a gasp, and she shut her eyes, blocking out the trees as they whipped past them on either side, faster and faster. The wind was cold on her face, and she turned her head slightly, burying her face in Booth's chest.
He laughed, tightening his arms around her, just as they hit a bump near the bottom of the hill. The tube flipped, and they rolled the rest of the way down the hill before stopping to rest, Brennan lying on top of Booth, snow covering both of them.
Brennan opened her eyes and looked down at Booth. A small smile formed on her face, before she burst out laughing. Booth met her eyes, laughing as well, until finally it subsided into an occasional giggle.
"Um, Bones? You think you can get off me now?"
She shook her head, ignoring his plea.
"C'mon, Bones, I'm dying here!"
"That's not my fault! I told you we should have gone skiing!" Brennan was slightly out of breath, but here eyes were sparkling.
"Everyone skis, Bones. Admit it, you had fun!"
"Lying in the cold, wet snow is not my idea of fun!" She tried to sound indignant, but her teasing tone belied her words.
"Well, let's see if we can remedy that situation." In one quick motion, he flipped her over onto her back, and he was above her.
"Booth, what…" She never finished her sentence, as his lips came down on hers, effectively stopping her protest.
Her thoughts scattered as he kissed her…his kisses always left her breathless, confused, and excited as hell. She wrapped her arms around him, letting the sensations his kiss aroused in her take over her body.
Booth lost himself in the kiss; every time he kissed her, if felt like the first time. Eventually, though, he felt her shiver beneath him, and he pulled back slowly. "We should probably get in out of the cold." He looked around. "Besides, it seems we have an audience."
Brennan turned her head to see a raccoon, it's beady eyes staring at them from the trees. It just stood there, frozen, watching them.
"Shouldn't it run away? Maybe it has a disease or something."
Brennan shook her head. "It's fine, Booth." She shivered again.
Booth's attention shifted from the animal back to his partner. He stood and offered his hand; she took it and he pulled her up. Wordlessly they made their way through the woods, hearing the occasional shout of the other few brave souls who were out tubing in the bitter cold.
As they walked, Booth's mind drifted back to that day, 9 months ago, when he finally confronted her about their feelings for one another. She had, of course, denied there was anything between them…
"I don't know what you're talking about, Booth. We're just…partners."
"Bones, admit it. We both know there's something there. I can't keep pretending there isn't, and you can't either. You have to talk about your feelings, you can't let them fester…"
She had shook her head indignantly. "Did you learn that from Gordon Gordon? Or from Dr. Sweets? Because I…"
He had interrupted her. "You do have a hatred for psychology, don't you?"
"I don't hate it, Booth! I just don't see the point. And besides, you're…"
He had stopped her words with a kiss. Not the soft, sweet kiss under the mistletoe; this was full of passion and longing, and they had both known there would be no turning back.
"Booth?"
Her voice brought him back to the present. Stopping, he turned to her.
Pulling off her glove, she reached up and caressed his cheek. "I love you."
He smiled as he looked down into her sparkling blue eyes. "I love you too, Bones."
BBB
After a long, hot shower together, they were sipping hot cocoa by the fire in their tiny cabin. Booth sat on the floor, his back propped up against the sofa, Brennan in front of him, leaning back, her head resting on his chest. She sighed, and he smiled down at her.
Sitting his cup down on the floor beside him, he tightened his arms around her. "Better now?"
"Mmmhmm." Leaning over to place her cup beside his, she snuggled closer to him, letting the warmth of the fire and the comfort of his arms lull her into a contended doze.
"Temperance?"
The words whispered in her ear pulled her back, and she opened her eyes, tilting her head back slightly to look up at him. Leaning down, he kissed her lips lightly, then reached under the sofa to pull out a thin, brightly wrapped package. "Happy anniversary, Bones."
"Anniversary?" She sat up. "But Booth, our first date wasn't until May….May 23, to be precise. You still have three months…"
Booth shook his head. "Not that anniversary, Bones. Today is the anniversary of our very first case."
"Oh. Right." She cocked her head to the side and looked at him. "You mean that case where you thought I was totally crazy? When I identified the weapon and cause of death just from the autopsy photos?"
He smiled. "That's the one."
She lowered her eyes to the package, trying to maintain her stern look, which she couldn't do when faced with his damn charm smile.
"Open it," he whispered, and she shivered involuntarily at the feel of his breath on her ear.
She removed the bow and carefully unwrapped the gift. Putting the paper aside, she lifted the lid of the box. Frowning, she looked inside for a moment, then lifted her eyes to meet his. "A notebook? I don't understand…"
"It's mine." He reached in and pulled it out of the box. "When I first started seeing Dr. Wyatt, he asked me to write down everything; all my thoughts and feelings." He paused a moment, then went on. "And my impressions of you, from the time I met you, up until then."
"Booth…"
"I've been writing in it ever since. And I thought that maybe, you would like to see. What I thought then, and what I feel now."
Her eyes filled with tears, and she reached up, running her hand lightly along his cheek. "Thank you. It's…" She paused and took a deep breath. "It's a wonderful gift, Seeley."
He smiled a bit. "Wait until you read it before you say that."
Sliding her hand around his neck, she pulled his face down to hers, meeting his lips in a sweet kiss. After a moment, she pulled back. "But I didn't get you anything."
"I already have everything I could possibly want."
His words were sincere, yet she knew there was one thing he wanted, one thing she denied him. "I know you want more, Seeley. I…"
He placed a finger on her lips, effectively quieting her. "Temperance, you gave me your heart. That's the only thing I ever wanted." He brushed a lock on hair back from her face. "I don't need anything else. I know you love me, and that's enough."
Looking into his eyes, she knew he spoke the truth. And she also realized, as his words filled her heart, that there was something she wanted. "Ask me again."
He looked at her quizzically. "What?"
Taking a deep breath, she put a hand on either side of his face. "You're going to make this hard for me, aren't you?" She smiled. "Seeley Booth, will you marry me?"
Booth opened his mouth to speak, shut it, then tried again. "I…what?" He shook his head. "Temperance…"
"It's a simple question, Booth. Just yes or…"
"You're crazy." He gave her a charm smile.
She cocked her head. "Is that a yes?"
Leaning towards her, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek, then continued a path to her ear. "Yes." Pulling back, he looked into her eyes. "I love you, Temperance, and I want to marry you. But are you sure you want to do this?"
She met his gaze. "I'm sure. I love you, Booth. But more than that, I trust you." She smiled. "Just don't expect me to be a normal wife. Nothing changes."
Looking at her, so resolute, so determined, he had to smile. "Bones, I wouldn't have it any other way."
BBB
Okay, so….there you go! Again, I had some trouble with the ending…I suck at them almost as much as I suck at titles! Lol!